THE HIGHWAYMEN. An ode to Main Roads by Alfred Noyes

The road was lined with white crosses as it twisted passed purple moors- while huge tip-trucks came driving, driving ,driving up to Allawuna farm’s door.

Time waits for no man, unless you are a State Government Minister.

Courtesy of the Greens, Robin Chapple, we have the answer, dated 27 March, 2018, from a question asked on Tuesday 5 December 2017, in the Legislative Council. (You would hate to ask Ministers if they are OK!)

The response (see below) comes via the Cape of Good Hope and the Orient Express from the current Minister for Transport via the current Minister for the Environment, delivered ( hot off the press) to Mr. Chapple’s office and to me last night, then straight to you.

We have already been told that there were 42 serious accidents, including 8 deaths, on the Great Southern Highway, from The Lakes to St. Ronan’s, between 2001 and 2016.

We have now been advised that from, and including, 2016, the average daily traffic count is 1925 with approximately 19 of these being heavy vehicles up to 27.5 meters in length, or if you prefer- 90 feet.

This length is very hard to overtake given all the sharp bends and the dearth of passing lanes.

If you take the ‘R’ out of dearth (which means lack and insufficiency) you suddenly get the word ‘death’ and everybody knows what that means.

Now the Minister’s interpretation of what Alkina Holdings Pty Ltd intends to deliver trash with is within another 88 traffic movements per day using Great Southern Highway. This includes Saturdays.

On Sunday’s they will wash the trash dregs and stench out of the road trains to start another working week of 528 return trips, 288 by road train

Forty-eight Pocket Road Trains up to 27.5 metres (again 90 feet) will be part of the daily movements to and from Allawuna. This will increase heavy traffic movements, per day, from 19 to 67, a 3.5 times greater volume.

What you may have to pass as you frantically search for the overtaking lane is up to 1.3 kilometres, or over three-quarters of a mile of snail paced road-trains out and about on their daily jaunt.

The increase in weight to be borne by the bitumen will be up to an addition 1500 tonnes per day, if the road trains return empty.

This could effectively double the weight borne by the road surface.

If you believe that the Minister for Transport, the Department of Transport and Main Roads have done any load bearing capacity tests anywhere on Great Southern Highway, as a duty of care, regarding potential road surface damage and related traffic safety issues, you can probably guess again.

It is highly doubtful if one square millimetre of the 40 kilometres of roadway to be used has been investigated regarding surface impacts that could be caused by Alkina traffic.  

Robin Chapple has kindly asked if there are any more questions anyone would like to direct to any Ministers concerned, regarding your concerns.

That is entirely up to you. If you still think it is an ongoing, unresolved issue-his contact numbers are on Google!

David Taylor.

ROADS TO PERDITION:

There are a lot more byways that have dangerous problems than just the Highway to, and from Hell.

They call this the Terminator-
your Shires purpose built stairway to heaven

At some stage in the very near future poor administration, lack of action, bad employment choices, lack of planning structures, asset mismanagement and financial failings will be compared to the Shire of York’s response to its community obligations and Australian/WA standards for road maintenance.

Questions have already been raised, with the CEO, Paul Martin, being given an expert tongue lashing for his alleged lack of qualifications and understanding of one of the most contentious, multi-million dollar issues he faces- the poor condition of York’s roads.

Mr Martin should realize that dangerous Shire roads and any death or serious injuries caused by their obviously neglectful disrepair is his responsibility and if something goes badly wrong- possible culpability.

It would not be the first time that a very poor regime of shire road maintenance has been the subject of both criticism and adverse findings by a Coronial Enquiry.

The excuse is often lack of funding even though there are Federal and State contributions to be accessed. In York’s case this funding has been transferred
to other failing projects, so sympathy is in short supply.

Overall- what Mr Martin and President, David Wallace, should realize is how closely their individual performance, in their specific roles, is currently being monitored. This is on all counts- not just the risky, bitumen bungling business.

Both should understand that neither are particularly good communicators and in both cases any recalcitrant, mind-numbing silence is not golden. There are no such things as bad questions- just the lack of timely, appropriate answers.

And questions can be asked- when the answers are already known. This is called a “Fishing Trip” when the answer is already sitting in the frying pan.
Then can come the fiery response

Both men should also realize that no information and or communications are sacrosanct. In this age billions of gigabytes of data is floating around ready to be located, sourced and used- often by Social Media.

Recently the word stultified was used to describe the Shire of York Councillors.
Stultify is not a derogative comment regarding any group or individual. It is a rather sad rationalization and realization of councillor awareness, that, inexplicably, some may be suppressed- and impeded from their duties by the fact that important Shire matters are being withheld from them, arguably deliberately.

Many important communications to the Shire of York appear to be directed just to the President and CEO- meaning they get to choose who to tell and who to keep in the dark. If cc’d to councillors- it is to specific individuals, rarely to all.

What appears to be now part of these communications is both unhealthy for the community and undemocratic for ratepayers, as all councillors must make all the important decisions on behalf of their electors and in the community interest.

Otherwise why bother to elect them.

It could be suggested to be ‘cronyism’ but that is not correct unless it is now a male dominated cronyism with a gender bias.

The councillor’s names that important correspondence is directed to are known. Who miss out is also known.

The names of the chosen are immaterial other than being directly linked to any future major turmoil that is kept from those who have a democratic, unalienable right to be included.

Remember in local government it must be All for All- not one or two for All- or for just a few.

David Taylor.

HIGHWAY TO HELL.

It is easy to see why there is such a huge question mark regarding the suitability of Avon’s death valley bitumen strip that snakes its way to, and through York, to take hundreds of huge rubbish-laden trucks to the proposed monster dump at Allawuna Farm.

No wonder it is now lined with kilometres of road bend warning signs and the speed limit reduced by 10 kph.

It is because of the ‘C’ word- CARNAGE!

The toll is bad, eight dead and 32 seriously injured- a massive 42 casualties. For the statistician that is 1.4 serious motor vehicle accidents per kilometre and nearly three per year over 15 years from 2001 to 2016.

One was actually at St. Ronan’s. My best friend was killed there  when his 4WD slipped onto a verge and was catapulted into a tree. Its roof struck the trunk 2 meters above the surrounding topography.

The speedometer was frozen on 108 kilometres per hour and his body was identified by DNA tests on his toothbrush.

He was not speeding, just the victim of a poorly designed stretch of road.

It is food for thought for anyone who believed, or still believes, this tip is a good idea.  

David Taylor.

WHO WILL GUARD THE GUARDS THEMSELVES?

‘Chicken Little’ otherwise known as Local Government Councillors may feel that the sky has just fallen in on them. There will be no more protection from being individually ‘suspended and dismissed’ when the Local Government Amendment (Suspension and Dismissal) Bill, 2018, is ratified by Parliament.

As usual there is a big problem.

The Minister, David Templeman, has consulted with the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) and the Local Government Professionals Australia (LGPA) regarding the putting of thumbscrews on elected members.

Why-is the question- as this Minister and his Department, are fundamentally, indeed totally responsible for the Local Government Act, 1995, its Amendments and all interpretations of this Act!

To deal with WALGA and LGPA at this level of consultation is akin to throwing two hungry foxes into Chicken Little’s hen house as neither should have been allowed any influence on this amendment’s decision making process.

These two Local Government leaches, who mainly survive by financially exsanguinating local councils and ratepayers, are dedicated to protecting those Chief-Executive Officers and other Senior Local Government employees guilty of abysmal levels of contracted performance from the wrath of totally disenfranchised, ripped-off ratepayers.

Key Performance Indicators are not considered Key Pay-packet Inducements as many of these employees do not perform to anywhere near local community expectations, but with their inadequacies often allegedly enhanced, then hidden and defended by WALGA and the LGPA.

Ratepayers have no say in who will be the extremely highly paid, underqualified employees, who are supposed to act on their behalf and in their best interest.

Selecting these employees is a service that WALGA is more than happy to provide to unsuspecting, often gullible Shire Presidents and interview panellists who have no idea how to tell a silk purse from a sows’ ear.

As an example Ray Hooper managed to re-invent himself, as a senior shire executive, at least four times, maybe more, allegedly supported by WALGA.

But far more importantly, in the case of Rural and Remote Shire Councils, is the provision of candidates to select a CEO who has the overall abilities and business acumen to keep their town alive.

WALGA has an oxy-moronic Conflict-of-Interest that would have any other agency hanging its head in shame. It represents all players in the game from councillors, to administration to ratepayers, with the last innocent, legally and politically unprotected group picking up the tab.

LGPA just ensures a lot of Local Government Executive Officers are the most under-achieving, underworked and overpaid bureaucrats in WA.

It is a shocking indictment of a public servant bureaucracy gone stark, raving mad.

So here should be the next bill- the LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL RATEPAYER PROTECTION BILL, 2018.

This bill is to be developed in consultation with WA Ratepayers Associations, the Department of Local Government, the Attorney Generals Department, the Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission, the Western Australian Police and the State Ombudsman.

This bill will give the Minister the power to suspend and/or order an individual local government officer to undertake remedial action on behalf of ratepayers when the Minister is satisfied that it is inappropriate for the officer to continue to act as an employee of a council without intervention.

The triggers for this intervention are:

 1. a local government officer is charged with an offense, whether criminal,
     civil or otherwise, that, if convicted will disqualify them from undertaking
     any official employment duties or colludes in or deliberately withholds
     information of such an offense of which they should have reasonably
     known.

2 . a quorum of local ratepayers from the relevant Local Government Area
     has referred an allegation or allegations of a serious breach or recurrent
     breach of laws in full force and effect in the State of Western Australia,
     including the Local  Government Act 1995, and any of its subsequent
     Amendments, to the Departmental Chief Executive Officer to be referred to
     the State Administrative Tribunal or other agency of appropriate     
     jurisdiction.

3.  the local government officer is failing to perform their role, functions or
     duties as defined in the Act and in breach of their contract of employment
     and the Minister is satisfied after consultation with ratepayers that the
     seriousness or duration of the suspected failure requires various levels of
     intervention: or


4.  the local government officer’s conduct is adversely affecting the ability of
     another person, including but not strictly limited to fellow officers,
     councillors, ratepayers and individual community members or local
     government itself to perform their duties and functions, exercise their
     common  law rights and engage in lawful business activities without
     excessive, unwarranted local by-law constraints enforced on the
     development of local private commercial enterprise.

The purpose of this reform is designed firstly to protect the ratepayer, then local community and public interest and insure there is a correct interpretation of the system of local government to facilitate an assurance that the relevant Minister gets off his arse to intervene in a timely manner.

On another matter, the President of the Shire of York, David Wallace and his Chief Executive Officer, Paul Martin, and whoever else wishes to interfere, the raising of domestic rate valuations for the 2018-2019 Financial Year should not be considered an option.

Otherwise an independent evaluation of the fairness and equitability of any such rate rise, based on supposedly necessary future funding requirements of the Shire of York, will be undertaken based on the Shire of York’s independent external audit performance review for the 2017-2018 Financial Year.

If considered necessary there will be an evaluation of the current rate levy imposed on Undeveloped Land.

There will be three assessments requested from independent financial experts:-

Is the current levy considered to be fair and equitable-
 
1. when compared to rates levied on local domestic properties?

2. when compared to rates levied on local commercial    
     properties?

3. when evaluated against the future financial needs of the town 
      of York to have sufficient funding to move forward?

David Taylor

 

RIGOR MORTAR:-Shire inspired C.P.R for the C.B.D.

A York Shire ‘OFFICER RECOMMENDATION’ is for ratepayers to fund requests for embalming fluid for a number of allegedly decrepit properties in Avon Terrace to the tune of $18,750.

(It may be a grant-but who do you think actually picks up the tab and for what economically motivated, viable reason that has quantified added financial value for the community?)

You would think that Officer Harmer could have increased this rather piddling amount to at least the $20,000 that has already been allocated, and not bother to recommend that the background to the proposal appears in another (ad nauseam) confidential report attachment only to be viewed by usual suspects.

In other words- be slightly more generous (there is only $1,250 left) and a lot more transparent -which is not a Shire of York forte.

A Confidential Report is a Local Government euphemism for let’s not tell the peasants because we can claim some sub-legal, close to bullshit excuse such as it is not in the public interest to know any details- because the Shire says so.

This time the excuse is the disclosure of Confidential Business Information that could have a negative effect on the competitive position of a business enterprise that has submitted a Private and Confidential begging letter for public funding.

This is a valedictory vindication often used by WA Local Government Officers as their final words on the matter to try and keep ratepayers in the fungal vegetative state called being a ‘Mushroom’.

The recipients of the largest amounts of funding are B&L Smith, York Quality Butchers and the Imperial Homestead who will receive a combined total of $14,890 for an early 20^th Century, retro-paint job, décor and a clean-up- with all being private business enterprises.


Two should be considered to be well established, lucrative businesses, the other with the golden opportunity to be one.

The one that is yet to be opened as a business could be considered to be a public money funding irregularity at best.

Unlike the other two its $5,000 in ratepayer funding is for privately-owned premises that has yet to deliver any form of financial, commercial, social or required goods and services, directly business related benefits to the York ratepayer and the community.

Also what private and confidential commercial business matters does an enterprise that is yet to open its doors have to keep from public scrutiny?

It has no business records being profit and loss, as yet no known customer base and no known intellectual property to protect. Therefore it still has no known intrinsic value other than the known property purchase price as being a commercial property, Real Estate market valuation.

Any monies already spent on renovations have yet to add any additional market value to the property.

It is also doubtful that a number of farmer’s wives would want to keep their ownership of a new, unopened business a commercial secret?

The other fundamental question is should reasonably wealthy community members, who are financially supported by their family businesses, request additional financial support from the Shire to increase the ambience and value of a new, additional business enterprise? This should be a decision that the rest of the community is happy with!

But in the end- who really gives a ‘Rats’ about any form of possible conflict of interest in the financial support mechanisms used by local government to directly support specific, individual local businesses, including a local government owned commercial facility-the Forrest Bar and Cafe?

The amount the Imperial Homestead may receive is $1,140 more than the three Shire nominated, arguable not-for-profit organizations- that will share their less than generous portion of $3,860.

For years the owners of the Shell Service Station and adjoining properties managed to have a sort of Soweto Theme Park, inclusive of the ‘Leaning Tower of Rubber’, the ‘Old Battery Obstacle Course’ and the rusting shelters for homeless and/or itinerant vermin.

Pressure from Social Media saw the Shire of York finally take legally appropriate measures to ensure this decomposing detritus was removed to meet WA’s current regulatory community health standards.

Regarding one of the adjoining properties, the Shire of York, took legal action against a business proprietor, allegedly on behalf of the owners, for breaches of health regulations caused by building dilapidation that could have been claimed to be the owners responsibility. (This was in the time of Ray Hooper, so enough said.)

Once again it is not all about what York can do for you, but what you have done for York in the eyesore department until you were finally, officially told not to.

The Imperial Homestead was purchased by the current owners at a figure less than the previous owners paid for it over a decade ago.

The rule of thumb in real-estate is that a property, particularly domestic, can increase in value by up to 10% per annum- or up to 100% in 10 years.

Those days have gone, Australia wide, but there are special market places like York where property values can be up to 10% less than they were 10 years ago.

So the question is-did they get a bargain and should they obtain ratepayer financial support at this stage to paint a fence and de-guano an outdoor patio?
Regarding the York Quality Butchers their service to the community may deserve a new, local crowd funded, façade. That is a matter for the community to decide.

Everyone wants the re-beautification of York, not only in the CBD but along all the major entry points to the town.
 
Usually Government/ Private agreements of this kind are done on a 50% contribution by both parties.

This would mean that B&L Smith and the Imperial Homestead puts in $5,000 each, and York Quality Butchers- $4,890, to meet the Shires contribution of municipal monies of the same amount.  This kind of information appears to be being withheld.

York needs all the help it can get in clear and concisely developed business direction from the Shire of York- not just a lick of paint.

The creation of meaningful new ‘Events’ and realistic ‘Economic Development’ is just a Local Government catchphrase- not yet a reality in York.

To tart up a town is one thing, for this to produce any form of economic development is another.

The Shire of York has arguably got itself into the position where the only way it can attract new investment and businesses is to offer a raft of financial incentives, including waiving or reducing commercial rate valuations, to both current and future business owners.

This has been done internationally to stimulate growth in depressed areas, usually over a period of socio-economic adjustment of between one and five years, or until it actually works.

The likelihood of this, in York, where many cannot afford to pay already exorbitant domestic property rates is unlikely because of a deservedly apocalyptic, ratepayer reaction.

David Taylor.



 

 

CLOSED – BROKE & DEPARTED:

CBD usually means Central Business District with exceptions like York, where the definition does not quite fit, with businesses having gone broke, shop doors closed and the former proprietors usually leaving town. Even Thompson’s, the undertaker, operating within an aging population demographic- has now dearly departed. 

This means the CBD could be described as looking like an old grand piano with lots of keys missing.

Photographs are considered to be worth a thousand words. So how much is this collage

actually worth?

There are at least 13 For Sale or  Lease  signs in York’s central CBD with at least 13 business properties empty- with a current valuation of next to worthless.

Overall York’s main artery, Avon Terrace, could be diagnosed as suffering from pre-mortem angina.

However should this baker’s dozen have tenants with each being occupied by a permanent, well managed and marketed, appropriate small business then the valuation would be entirely different. In fact it would be extremely financially positive.

Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data and local economic demographics including potential population growth, commercial rental valuations, domestic rental valuations  and/ or property purchase and additional wage components, there would be at least an extra  $2 million annual input into  the local economy.

Then you try and forget the half a plethora (6?) of local Bed & Breakfast establishments on the market, that given York’s current economic climate, and CEO Paul Martin’s new buzzword “multiyear’ (that could become ‘multigenerational’) may remain close to empty and unsold for decades to come.

Included in the diminished CBD is a Commercially Bad Direction- the 'pop-up shop'.

It is considered a fad, at best a short term solution, relying on ultra cheap rental costs, resulting from an oversupply of vacant retail business space. Not good economic modelling by those responsible for York’s future commercial direction of its main commercial boulevard - the SHIRE OF YORK.

It is “low rent’! The general public and tourists are fully aware of what kind of stock is sold, either discontinued lines and salvage lines, plus other cheap junk. It is just to keep one door slightly ajar and is downmarket, projecting a lack of ambience, is poorly thought out commercial future and is denigrating to York’s historic charm.   .

It also projects a very poor image to locals, all visitors and the serious business developer and investor.

So who, individually, bears the overall responsibility for the CBD, meaning, arguably, Clearing Bad Decision marking and, probably a Catastrophic Business Direction?

There is the usual suspects, the possibly moribund Shire President and his mainly stultified Council, the suspected directionless CEO and in this case his CDO/EDO Esmeralda Harmer who appears to have little, if any, promotional, marketing and business experience/acumen at the required level.

These possible inadequacies should not reflect too badly on Ms. Harmer, after all it is Paul Martin who has the ultimate responsibility.

I am told their answer is to throw rate money at tawdry festivals, How many festivals, how tawdry they are and if any of them will ever be truly successful is the unanswered rate payer funded question.

I believe one is going to be a mudslide which lends itself to the promotional blurb “ Come visit York for a Dirty Weekend”. (Maybe funny- but also tacky!).

Or “Get your ICE in York’ promoting a miniscule kiddies ice rink to the plebs through the possibility of a risqué slogan.

This is at a time when tourism in WA, particularly in the national and international markets is underperforming to put it mildly. This leaves local tourism operators and tourist towns fighting over which local niche market scraps are left.

Given who should be leading the propaganda, marketing and promotional charge to improve York’s visitor future is the Shire, there is no good reason to feel any confidence.

It has the website, but lacks a competitive standard of communication skills to use this platform properly.

You can add to this what tourists and festival goers do not particular like doing is staring through empty shop windows. It is totally boring and extremely depressing.

Maybe Paul Martin should contemplate whether any festival frenzy is putting the cart before the horse?

Then again,. probably the Shire can neither afford the cart or the horse and York is now well and truly caught between Wave Rock and a hard place on the tourist map.

Martin and Co were told 16 months ago what could stimulate public, overnight stays, in York.

It was to light some of the buildings up with lantern slide projections, turning the town into an innovate, historic, hi-tech visual wonderland using West Australian Newspapers and the J.S Battye Library’s collection of superb, rural and Indigenous photographic images dating back to the 1890’s.

They either did not like the idea, considering it to be way too avant-guarde and visionary- or they could not afford the electricity bill. Probably both!

It is also getting to the stage,  in York, when a gathering of more than 250 people at a given time, could not rely on being adequately fed and accommodated to the personal standards required by individual tourists.

As a one-off ,the iconic CWA Cookbook turns 72  this year lending itself to a country food festival featuring classic recipes dating back 7 decades. There are synergies, WA’s oldest  inland town celebrates with an outstanding not-for-profit organization that has focussed on improving the conditions and lifestyle of rural women and children for the past 96 years.

It changes the dynamics from food festival, to an historic ‘Australiana’ food festival.

Does the Shire of York have the ability, or visionary thought processes to project its community as a must visit, must see tourism venue. Currently -No it does not!

Would it have the foresight to at least investigate the commercial potential and financial return possible by promoting itself as ‘Rainbow’ friendly. Of course not!

All Rural Shires may have to tread very carefully in future regarding its local, potentially self-centred, possibly discriminatory ‘Principles’ and ‘Guidelines’, allegedly based on minority decisions, with inadequate knowledge of the laws or statutes involved, placing inappropriate and unconscionable commercial restraints on current and future local business investment and development.

The Shire of York has done this before!

Remember that individual councillors throughout the State, in  future, can and will be sacked by the State Government.

Possibly for more reasons than you think, hopefully including collusive interference in restraint of trade and private investment when inconsistent with Federal and, State government laws, including being measured against enforceable, legitimate, local community expectations.

That means that if any Shire precludes a development for inadequate, inconsequential reasons- bordering on lunacy, individual councillors and the CEO may find themselves with legal letters demanding an explanation for their actions.

At the same time this developer should be contacting programs such as ‘Today Tonight’ to place the Shire’s attitudes and decisions in the public arena.

If it is York and given the possibility of a controversy and a bad viewer reaction you could expect a news-crew to come screaming up The Great Southern Highway  at an average 95kph, because it is too dangerous to go faster. (They may ask why the speed limit has dropped from 110 to 100?)

I am sure that neither the Shire President, Councillors or the CEO will be particularly enamoured by being door-stopped.

One other thing, that some citizens of York should have a light-bulb moment about- Social Media sites are here to stay. Get used to it or through your own positive community actions ensure there are no horrific Shire Council decisions, exploding domestic rates, or any other lack of action worth writing about.

It appears that after a social media expose, the Shire has spent four days cleaning up the mess that is the Historic York Cemetery.

Did you cause this to happen? Highly doubtful!

So when you bitch about Social Media is damaging York’s reputation, look in the mirror and see the real culprit, the head in the sand ostrich that is the deathly silent majority, silently damaging York over the past decade.

David Taylor.

MIRE DAVIES & ALLAWUNA.

In the dirty world of politics this is a lady who knows how to get her Prada’s   dirty in national mud puddles that are none of her business. Forget who she is and what she is, it is time to ask her what she is now doing for her country electorate, not what her country electorate has already done for her.

These days York’s representative in the Western Australian Parliament is close to impotent, ignored by the Liberal Party and in many ways responsible for the many years out of office the WA Nationals can be looking forward to.

Also very much responsible for the multi-billion dollar financial disaster that was Royalties for Regions. R4R does not represent the well-deserved recognition of the massive positive input that the regions have on this State’s economy, but the imbecilic way billions has been spent (and lost) in its name.

Everyone should remember that Perth, as a commercial entity, is a major loss making concern providing very little export revenue while gobbling-up at least 70% of the state’s imports. That was the reason for R4R, to try and develop a form of social and economic, equitable parity.

When the Allawuna Farm Tip project first reared its ugly head Ms. Davies was joined by a political-career-enhancing umbilical cord to the then Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Lands and WA Nationals Leader Brendon Grylls.

Grylls was a political powerhouse and the ‘King Maker’ of Colin Barnett, the WA Government was totally dependent on his support.

He was also the member representing Central Wheatbelt and the Shire of York community.

Even the most sycophantic WA Nationals supporter should not believe that at that time, 2012, Grylls had not been approached by the proponents of the Allawuna Farm debacle for his approval and support.

Mia Davies, his closest confident and successor said he knew nothing about it.

That is not just three strikes for deliberately ignoring the truth - it is four.

Grylls was the Minister for Regional Development, Lands and the member for the region and therefore should have been told there would be a large regional industrial and domestic waste development on regional land.

That’s three! - And you are normally out.

The fourth is that when a similar, earlier project was proposed at Northam, Grylls predecessor, Max Trenorden, who then was nothing more than the local member for the Electorate of Avon, was advised by every Minister concerned that a waste dump was being considered, located at The Avon Industrial Park.

This advisory  is called common courtesy.

Trenorden got rid of the threat- but there is no-way known that Grylls was not told about the proposal and gave the thumbs-up.

For those that feel that Grylls and/ or even Davies, could not have marched into Colin Barnett’s office and shut the door on Allawuna by using the back door, then guess again. The only reason he was in office was because of them.

In 2012, all they would have had to have said is that the proposed site was on pristine farmland, just 80 kilometres from Perth and in an area that at least one major National domestic household insurer will not provide insurance cover because of the risk of natural disasters. Last, but by no means least, that the Nationals would refuse to allow it.

Later on-anyone who claims that Mia Davies made any genuine attempt to stymie this development on her electorate’s behalf is, unfortunately, having a major lend of themselves.

As an example several, so called, doyennes of York society were overheard praising the sterling efforts of Mia Davies in supporting the anti-Allawuna cause. It was then and still is-an absolute crock!

This might all be old news, but certainly not fake news, showing that there are many, many more people than you think who are responsible for allowing this cancerous, community sore to continue to grow for six-long-years.

The Shire of York may have been responsible for its origins, then totally inept in trying to stop it, but a lot more failed to put any political pressure on those who really could have stepped in behind the scenes and killed it off.

Congratulations to these people if this project finally comes to fruition. You should have had a WA Nationals guard dog, but you would not force it to bark to protect yourselves.

The only political figure to involve himself all the way to the floor of parliament
is Greens MP, Robin Chapple. Many do not agree with all Greens philosophies, but he did 100 times more than Mia Davies has.

Strange that!  When the Nationals in this state, is basically nothing more than a farmer’s party (hoping that CBH does not go guts-up) and so many good farmers may suffer from it supporting trashing precious farm land.

The day the WA Nationals have a viable candidate who could actually win an inner metropolitan seat at a State Election, and a member in Federal Parliament, then it can actually be considered a real political party, with real policies and maybe even worthy of respect.

When you are driving around to find someplace doing well for itself where you can eat, drink and be merry and shop till you drop, go to Northam. The WA Nationals claim they did.

David Taylor.